A World Without Eva
by Ikari666
Summary: A continuation of the AU on episode 26
1. The New Girl

This is a fic done from the A/U seen in episode 26 of Neon Genesis Evangelion. I got the idea   
after watching that particular episode for the third time on DVD. Lo and behold, three weeks and   
two prereaders later, the first chapter of A World Without Eva. I wish I could say I was the first to   
do this, but halfway through the planning stage I found a couple one-shots done(grrrr...). But,   
mine's at least going to be the first multi-chaptered one ^_^... as far as I know... The only regret   
I have in choosing this setting is... the loss of Pen Pen! Yes... It's true... Our favorite   
warm-water penguin doesn't exist in this series... How sad!

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion. If I did would I live in Ham-town,   
Michigan? Rat County? Broke City? Huh, do ya? Do ya!?

A World Without Eva

Chapter 1 - The New Girl

"Baka-Shinji!"

Shinji Ikari's eyes snapped open upon hearing a voice in his   
bedroom. The voice came from one, Asuka Langley Sohryu.   
Shinji sat up trying to rub the sleep from his eyes.

"It's about time you got up, baka-Shinji."

"What is it, Asuka?" The fourteen-year-old groggily asked.

Had Shinji been completely awake, he would've avoided   
angering Asuka with that remark. "What the hell does than   
mean? Can't you appreciate the fact that I went to the trouble of   
waking you up? I don't hear any words of gratitude for your   
oldest childhood friend!"

Shinji muttered out his thanks. But, he was tired, really tired.   
He put his head back down on his pillow. "Let me sleep a little   
longer."

Asuka became even more irritated because of her longtime   
friend's response. "What are you doing? It's time for you to get   
up!" She yelled, reaching down and snatching the covers from   
the boy. 

Unfortunately, Shinji was having a very nice dream. Asuka   
gasped and became red in the face. A second later the sound of   
skin violently contacting skin echoed through the hall. The force   
of the slap caused the head of a penguin-shaped bobble-head   
doll, with a Pen^2 collar, perched on Shinji's dresser to shake back   
and forth. "Shinji-baka-hentai! I can't believe you've got one of   
those!"

Shinji grabbed his face in pain. "I can't help it! It's   
morning!"

Downstairs, Shinji's mother, Yui, was at the kitchen sink   
doing dishes when she heard the beginnings of yet another   
argument between the two teens. "That Shinji!" She exclaimed   
to Shinji's father, Gendo. "Asuka's so sweet to come pick him   
up every morning. And he doesn't even appreciate it." Gendo   
'uh'ed' his acknowledgement from behind the newspaper he was   
reading. "Dear, you have to get ready too." This earned another   
'uh' from the man. "Gosh, you're just like Shinji."

"Are you ready?" He asked, opting to answer with more than   
a psuedo-word.

"Anytime." Yui answered. "I'm the one who gets complaints   
from Professor Fuyutsuki if you're late for the meeting."

"That's true. He's you're biggest fan." He said with a flat   
tone, though he was inwardly smiling.

Yui knew her husband well enough to know what he said   
was in jest. "Oh, you! Cut that out and get ready."

Gendo answered with another 'uh,' before adding, "I   
understand, Yui."

Outside of Shinji's door Asuka yelled at him to hurry. "I   
know!" Shinji answered indignantly while finishing putting on   
his belt. "You're such a pain in the ass sometimes, Asuka!" He   
added, stepping out of the room. 

Asuka glared at him and grit her teeth. "What did you   
say!?!" Shinji was frozen in place. He knew what was coming.

A very loud smack reverberated throughout the apartment.

 Asuka's hand left an angry red welt on the side of Shinji's   
face. They both made their way to the front door.

"Ittekimasu!" Asuka said from the door as she finished   
putting on her shoes.

"Ittekimasu..." Shinji said as Asuka pushed him out of the   
house.

"Itterasshai!" Yui answered.

[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]

Shinji ran behind Asuka as they both made the effort not to   
be late for school. "Hey isn't there a new student starting today?"   
His voice was raised to a near yell because of the traffic they   
were making their way past..

Asuka looked over her shoulder to Shinji. "That right! Since   
this city's going to be the new capital, there're a lot of people   
moving in. It's no wonder we're getting so many new kids."

"Oh, that makes sense." Shinji took his gaze off of Asuka   
and put it to the sky above. "I wonder what she's like..." He   
continued wistfully. "I hope she's cute!"

Asuka growled softly as she glared at him. 

Shinji didn't hear her because he was building a mental   
image of what the girl might look like.

Elsewhere, a girl with blue hair and a piece of toast clenched   
between her teeth ran down the sidewalk. "Oh, I'm late! I'm   
late!" She wore a light tan sweater-vest over a white school shirt   
and red tie, and a light greenish-gray skirt that went a few   
centimeters above the knee. Clenched in her left hand was a   
black leather attaché case. "I can't be late for the first day!"

She quickly approached the corner and gave a muffled   
scream when she noticed a brown-haired boy popped out from   
the corner. Unable to stop herself in time, she went into a   
head-to-head collision with the boy. The piece of toast that she   
was eating flew from her mouth on to the sidewalk where two   
birds quickly descended upon it. The force of the impact   
knocked her on her butt. Trying to rub the pain out of her aching   
head, she slowly lifted her crimson red eyes up to meet with the   
boy's own midnight blue ones. She regarded him for a second   
before realizing the position she was in.  Her knees slammed   
together as her hands flew in front of her to push her skirt down.   
He looked at her with a mystified expression on his face. She   
leapt up to resume her run.. "I'm sorry! I'm in a hurry!" She   
looked over her shoulder to see the boy still on the ground. "I'm   
really very sorry!"

 Shinji stared at her, still dazed from the impact. He kept   
staring as the girl got further and further away.

Asuka didn't like the way her friend was staring at the girl.   
"Baka! What are you doing!?! Get up!" She reached down and   
grabbed his arm. Shinji marveled at his companion's strength as   
she pulled him up with one swift pull. Though the pain in his   
body jumped from his head to his shoulder. "Do you _want _us to   
be late? Oh, never mind, don't answer that. You probably do,   
just so you can tell your little friends perverted stories about us!   
Don't think for one second that I'm going to let you do that!"   
She ran off towards the school in a huff.

"Gee, why do you have to keep twisting things like that,   
Asuka?" Shinji said. Fortunately for him, Asuka was no longer   
within earshot. He brushed the dust from his pants, and took off   
after the angry red-head. _I wonder why I put up with her_, he   
thought to himself as he caught up with the girl. They continued   
their run to the school in an uneasy silence.

After they arrived at the gate of the school Asuka had not   
calmed down. Shinji thought it would be better if he took a   
different route to their classroom.

[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]

"What?!?" Cried out green-haired jock in his usual sports   
attire. Shinji had just finished relating the story of his collision.   
"Did you see her panties!?!"

Shinji rolled his eyes. He sometimes wondered exactly why   
Toji Suzuhara was one of his best friends. "Well, it wasn't really   
a good look." He explained, holding out his thumb and index   
finger to illustrate his point. "Just a little flash."

Shinji's other best friend, Kensuke Aida, smiled to himself.   
He knew that there was more than his friend let on.

Toji slapped his palm to his forehead. "I can't believe that   
you're the one that gets all the luck!" That being said, Toji   
incurred the wrath of the Class Representative, Hikari Horaki.   
He winced in pain as someone grabbed his ear and pulled.   
"What'd you do that for, Inchou?!?" He yelled out, knowing   
Hikari would be the only person that could currently be attached   
to his left ear.

Hikari tightened her grip slightly. "Suzuhara, just what   
exactly were you talking about!?!" She fumed. Except for Toji, it   
was well-known within the class that Hikari liked him. Rumors   
floated around the class that she also liked someone else, but no   
one knew who it was. Everyone knew because, every time that   
Toji made a comment like the one he just made, she would get   
angry. And everyone also knew, as nice and shy as she usually   
was, that you don't make the representative of class 2-A angry   
without getting her infamous 'Ear Pull of Death.' She twisted her   
hand a bit before continuing. "Go change the water in the flower   
vase right now! You understand?"

"You're so mean." Toji whined.

"What did you just say!?!"

Shinji frowned. "Poor Toji's so hen-pecked. It's sad, isn't   
it?"

Before Kensuke could answer Asuka butted in from her desk   
behind Shinji's right shoulder. "Look who's talking..."

Shinji craned his neck around. "Are you saying that I'm   
easily manipulated?"

"I'm merely reporting the facts." Returned Asuka.

"How so?"

"It just is. Accept it."

"Why do you treat me like this?!?"

Meanwhile, Kensuke just leaned back against the window   
and stared at the ceiling. He slowly tuned out Shinji and Asuka's   
argument. _Why do they always have to fight like that,_ he thought_,   
it's a beautiful day why can't they enjoy _"the calm, peace and   
tranquility..." His reverie was broken by loud engine moving   
into the school parking lot. That can only mean one thing. He   
grabbed his digital camera and turned to the window the same   
time Toji flung it open. All three boys hung out of the window to   
see their teacher, Misato Katsuragi, step out of her car and take   
off her sunglasses. Boys from not only their class, but adjoining   
classes began to gather at their windows to catch a glimpse of the   
purple-haired beauty. Girls all over that side of the school rolled   
their eyes collectively.

Misato stifled a laugh as she heard boys shuffle to the glass   
above her. She took a quick glance to the window the classroom   
she teaches, class 2-A and saw Toji almost drooling at her, Shinji   
with a bigger than usual smile on his face, and Kensuke with his   
ever-present video camera. She put on her best smile and flashed   
them a "V" sign, which they excitedly returned. The voices of   
Asuka and Hikari could be heard from inside of the classroom.   
This time she did laugh. _Must be complaining about the boys'   
behavior._

[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]

Misato quickly made her way into the main office to get the   
new student she knew would be there. Surely enough, an albino   
girl was there waiting for her in one of the chairs in the office.   
"Hello!" She greeted. "You must be the new student."

The young girl stood up and politely bowed to her. "Hai."   
She said simply, but with barely any enthusiasm.

Misato turned towards the hallway and motioned to the girl   
to follow. As they both started up the stairs to the second floor   
Misato broke the silence. "So, where are you transferring from?"

The girl kept her eyes on the top of the steps as she   
answered. "I am from Shibuya. I arrived here in Tokyo two days   
ago." She answered. Misato saw that her mind was elsewhere   
and told to her relax. She assured her that her soon-to-be   
classmates were really good with new students and really made   
them feel welcome. The girl nodded even though the teacher's   
assumption on what was occupying her mind was wrong...

[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]

"All rise! Bow! Sit down!" Hikari ordered as Misato walked   
into the class with the new girl in tow. She already knew about   
the newest addition to their class. One of her responsibilities was   
to assign laptops to transferees. _I hope the boys stop drooling   
over Misato-sensei long enough for the new student to introduce   
herself_. She gave a disapproving look at the group known as the   
Three Stooges, otherwise known as Shinji, Toji, and Kensuke.

Misato walked to the center of the front of the room. "Listen   
up, dudes!" She called out to the class. "We've got a new   
blue-haired babe here to introduce herself!" She stepped aside to   
reveal the girl.

"My name's Rei Ayanami! Nice to meet you!" She said with   
a happy tone of voice.

Misato hid a surprised look from her students. That did not   
sound like the girl she had talked to just prior.

Shinji yelped as he stood up in shock. _That's the girl I ran   
into!_

She was in a similar state of shock. "You're the jerk who   
was staring at my panties!" She yelled out jamming her finger in   
his direction.

Asuka stood up in a huff. "Hey, what do you mean by   
that?!? You're the one who was flashing them at Shinji!"

_Shinji... that's his name...  _"Who are you and _why_ are you   
defending him?" She smirked at her and lowered her voice. "Are   
you guys doing it?"

Asuka was taken aback. "No!" She shouted. "We're just   
really good childhood friends! You shut up!"

Hikari, getting into her class representative mode, stood up.   
"Be quiet, you two! We're in a class, not a bar!" She said sternly.   
An equally stern expression was on her face. Even though she   
was laughing at her best friend's embarrassment inwardly.

Misato took a seat at the front of the room. "Hey, this is   
more entertaining than class! I want to see how this turns out."   
She said with a bit of a laugh. "Please continue." The entire class   
erupted into laughter. Shinji got back into his seat and tried to   
sink into the chair as the Toji and Kensuke began to tease him   
about Asuka. Misato sighed. _Well, guess more than one day   
without teasing Shinji about him and Asuka was too much to   
hope for from those two... _She let the class do whatever they   
pleased for the fifteen minutes it took Rei and Asuka to finish   
their disagreement. Misato smiled as she heard Shinji breathe a   
sigh of relief, and then she started the class.

[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]

After a few hours of boring lecture the lunch bell sounded.   
Shinji opted against joining his friends on the roof for lunch.   
Instead, he took a small bentou box from his school bag and   
followed Rei outside to a tree on the school grounds. He jumped   
back when she whipped around to face him. "Why are you   
following me?" She asked in a flat tone.

Shinji noticed the change in her voice. "Umm, uh..." Rei   
just stood patiently, though a little annoyed, waiting for an   
answer. "I just wanted to umm... apologize for before. You   
know, when I ran into you."

"It is alright." She said with the same indifferent tone. She   
sat down against the tree and tilted her face skyward. Closing her   
eyes, She took in the sounds of the wind rustling through the   
branches of the tree. Shinji remained where she stopped him, still   
stunned by her shift in attitude. _She was happier when she   
introduced herself this morning._ Shinji was taken out of his   
thoughts by Rei's voice. "Is there anything else?" She asked with   
her eyes still closed. 

_It's so creepy when she talks like that... _"I was just   
wondering..."

She finally opened her eyes to look at Shinji. "Yes?"

"Umm, well... It's just... you seem different than earlier.   
You seem sadder, or something."

"Hmm... Well, if it seems that way, it's because of your   
friend." Rei explained. "I dislike being in arguments like that.   
And being in everyone's attention unless it is completely   
necessary." She closes her eyes and puts her head against the tree   
again.

"Oh, I see." Shinji takes another look at her and realizes that   
she doesn't have a lunch. "Hey, aren't you hungry?"

"I was in too much of a rush to get to school this morning. I   
forgot to pack a lunch. But, I can go without it for today."

"Well, umm..." He swallowed hard as she, again, opens her   
eyes and stares at him. "I don't usually eat all my lunch. You can   
have some of mine if you want."

She studied his face and thought to herself. _Share a lunch?   
But we just met!_ "I..."

Shinji interrupted when he saw the light blush cross her face.   
He frantically waved his hands in front of him. "It's just that, I   
don't want it to go to waste and you shouldn't have to go   
hungry."

 "Then, I would enjoy having lunch with you..." She looks   
up at him, hoping for him to give his full name.

Shinji smiled as he noticed the indifference in her voice had   
disappeared. "Shinji. Shinji Ikari."

She smiled softly at him. "Please, sit down with me... Ikari."

[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]

_Hmm, what's Baka-Shinji doing?_ Asuka and Hikari opted to   
have their lunch in the classroom. This afforded Asuka with a   
view of the tree Rei decided to sit under. _Why is he talking to the   
new girl?_ Asuka watched as the two conversed in the shade.   
After a few minutes, she saw sit him down next to her and open   
his bentou box. "Argh! Now he's sharing his lunch with her!"

Hikari looked up from her own lunch. "Who are you talking   
about, Asuka?" She asked.

"Baka-Shinji and the new girl." Asuka answered through grit   
teeth. Her right eyebrow began to twitch.

"Calm down, Asuka." Hikari said to her livid friend. "I'm   
sure it's nothing."

"Yeah, right! With that pervert!? He's probably planning   
how to get into her panties right now!"

Hikari waved her hand dismissively. "Oh Asuka.   
Shinji-kun's not that bad." She paused for a second in thought.   
"At least, he doesn't seem as bad as the other two stooges."

Asuka smirked at her friend. "That what you think!" She   
went into an explanation of the morning's events in Shinji's   
bedroom with her own interesting twist.

Hikari's eyes widened in disbelief. She definitely did not   
think a shy boy like Shinji would do that. "Really? That doesn't   
sound like Shinji-kun... To jump you like that..." _I'll have to   
talk to Shinji about this._

"If anything, Baka-Shinji's the worst of the three stooges!"   
Asuka folded her arms and returned her eyes to the tree where   
Shinji and Rei were still seated.

Hikari turned her own gaze out of the window to the pair   
below. "Hmm, those two make a cute couple though." She said,   
a bit wistfully. Her eyes widened when she realized who she was   
sitting with when she spoke her mind. She cringed when Asuka   
snapped her head towards her.

"What!?!" Asuka yelled. "Those two? No way!" She   
growled noticeably loud and turned back to the window. _No way   
in hell..._ She glared at the sight before her. The girl took a small   
bite of a spring roll, keeping her eyes trained on Shinji as he   
talked. _Shinji always been so shy. How can a girl like her get   
him to talk like that?_ She watched Shinji lean back against the   
tree, laughing about something. _He's seems so different, he's   
smiling more. He's not so lost in his thoughts, like he usually is.   
All the time we've been friends... He's never been that way with   
me..._ Asuka's face dropped at the realization. Especially because   
she did not approve of the girl he was being that way with.

Hikari gave her friend a sympathetic look. _I wonder how she   
_really_ feels about him... And how does Shinji feel about her? I   
wonder..._

[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]

Rei took another bite of one of Shinji's spring rolls. "So your   
parents do scientific research in Shibuya?"

"Yeah, my mother does medical research and my father's a   
bio-researcher there. It's funny how you just happened to have   
moved here from there." Shinji laughed. He became serious after   
a few seconds. "Hmm, I don't get it. You said earlier that you   
didn't have many friends back in your old school, but you're so   
easy to talk to."

Rei gave him a melancholy smile. "I normally don't talk to   
people like this. I am typically a bit of an introvert, I usually shy   
away from crowds and ignore people who speak to me   
insincerely. People who don't seem to actually _want _to talk to   
me. But, I _am_ able to put on a façade when I have too many   
people's attention, like this morning. I... dislike public speaking.   
But, there _are _a few people I run into that I can actually talk to   
comfortably." A small smile tugged at the corner of Rei's lips.   
"With you, though, it happened quite literally!"

Shinji leaned his head back and laughed. "Well, either way.   
I'm glad to be one of the honored few, Ayanami." This incited a   
light giggle from Rei. Shinji snapped his head towards her upon   
hearing it. He sat stunned for a second before finding her   
laughter contagious. They both stopped as they heard the bell   
signaling the end of the lunch period. Shinji got up and brushed   
himself off, then held his hand out to Rei. She took his hand and   
let him help her up. Their hands lingered for a moment before   
she also dusted herself off. They both went back inside in a   
comfortable silence.

[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]

Outside of the classroom Rei and Shinji were greeted by a   
very angry redhead. "Baka-Shinji! What were you doing?" Rei   
just walked past Asuka and went straight to her desk. Shinji   
wasn't as lucky. She grabbed him by his shirt collar. "And where   
do you think _you're_ going?" 

"I was talking with Ayanami." Shinji calmly explained.   
Somehow he was able to pry the girl's hand off his shirt.   
"What's wrong with that?"

"Plenty. How about the fact that she insulted the both of us   
at the beginning of class!?" She said placing her hands on her   
hips and leaning towards him.

"I had to apologize for running into her this morning! _And,_   
it's her first day and we should make her feel welcome!"

At that comment, Rei instantly looked at him with a hurt   
expression. _Is that the only reason you talked to me, Ikari?_

Shinji had his back to Rei so he didn't see her reaction. He   
continued his argument. "Not only that, but Ayanami's really   
nice when you get to know her." Had anyone been looking, they   
would have noticed an imperceptible smile grace Rei's lips for a   
split second before she turned to stare out the window.

"First of all, she ran into you." Asuka argued. "Second of all,   
she started the argument this morning. And lastly: who cares   
how about that bitch!?"

Shinji was about to answer, but he was interrupted by Hikari.   
"All rise." The teacher had apparently come into the room.   
"Bow. Sit down." _Whew, that could have gotten really ugly..._   
thought Hikari.

Shinji sighed as he sat in his desk. As soon as he opened his   
school laptop to begin typing out notes or the class, it started to   
beep quietly signifying that someone had opened a connection to   
chat with him. 

I'll finish with you later

Shinji discreetly looked over to Asuka, who was glaring at   
him. He sighed.

what's wrong with finishing now?

I'm not going to risk getting in trouble because of you 

oh, okay we'll talk after dinner tonight

what?

dont you remember?

remember what?

your family's coming over for dinner tonight

oh right

we'll talk then

With that, Shinji sighed and closed the private connection.   
He turned his attention to the class and began to take notes.

[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]

"All rise. Bow. Dismissed." The bell for the end of the had   
just sounded and Hikari dismissed the class. She looked around   
for the person who had cleanup duty with her for the week. She   
saw him trying to escape out the door she quickly went over and   
grabbed him. "Oh, no, you don't Suzuhara! You have cleanup   
duty with me this week and you're not going leave me here to do   
it by myself again." Shinji and Kensuke laughed at their friend's   
failed attempt to shirk his duties.

"But, Inchou... Cleaning isn't for a man to do!" Toji whined.

Shinji and Kensuke shook their heads at the same time.   
_That's gonna hurt him. _They thought simultaneously.

Hikari lashed her arm out and grabbed his ear. "What did   
you say, you jerk!?!"

Toji cried out in pain. "Nothing! Nothing!"

"She's got you on short leash doesn't she?" Kensuke teased,   
which earned him a glare from Hikari. He threw up his hands in   
defense. "Sorry! I didn't mean it!"

Shinji just snickered as he walked out the door. Asuka was   
already down the hall. He stopped when Hikari called him from   
inside the classroom.

Hikari stuck her head outside of the door. "Don't forget. You   
promised to help me watch my sister and a few of her friends at   
the beach tomorrow."

"We're all meeting at your house, right?"

She nodded. "Be there by six-thirty." She added with a smile   
before ducking her head back into the classroom.

Shinji looked back down the hall. Asuka was gone. She   
obviously didn't want to walk home with him, so he set out to   
find Rei.

He looked around for a while when he came out the door of   
the school. He spotted her making her way to the gate. He caught   
up with her just as she was exiting through it. He called out to   
her. "Ayanami! Ayanami!"

Hearing her name, Rei turned around to find the source of   
the voice. Her eyes narrowed invisibly upon seeing Shinji. She   
waited as he ran up to her. "What is it?" The emotion had left her   
voice again

_That tone again._ "Is something wrong?"

Rei failed to notice Shinji shudder. "Why do you ask?"

"Your voice, it's different from earlier."

"I see. What is it that you wanted?"

Shinji tilted his head in confusion. "I just wanted to ask if I   
could walk you home. But, before that... Are you angry at me, or   
something?"

Rei looked away. "Yes." 

This perplexed Shinji even more. When he saw that she   
didn't plan on explaining to him, he asked why.

"Is it true that you only came to talk to me because you were   
supposed to make me feel welcome?"

"Yes." She then turned to leave. Shinji jumped in front of   
her. "But, I wanted to apologize too! And after I started to talk to   
you, I really started to enjoy it."

Rei was surprised. "Really?" She asked, the life returning to   
her voice.

Shinji smiled. He liked her voice. "Really."

Rei favored him with a soft smile. "Then, you may walk me   
home."

[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]

"Tadaima!" Shinji yelled after opening the door to his   
apartment. There wasn't any answer. "Guess nobody's home."   
He took off his shoes and went to his room to put his school   
things away. As he began to change, the phone began to ring.   
"I'll let the answering machine get it..." He said as put on a new   
shirt. The message could be heard from the living room, it was   
his mother.

_"Hello, Shinji? I'm calling to tell you that your father and I   
will be a little late. I want you to cook dinner for us tonight.   
Have it ready by seven. And remember: Asuka's family is   
joining us tonight, so make enough for them, okay? Oh, and   
don't forget to practice your cello. The school's going to have a   
concert in five weeks, remember? Okay, gotta go. Bye! Love   
you!"_

Shinji finished changing and putting his dirty clothes away   
when his mother hung up. He went into his closet to retrieve his   
cello. _Hmm, now where is it? The last time I practiced wasn't   
that long ago, was it? A week, I think. Ah, here it is._ He took it   
into the living room to tune it. _I don't see the point in practicing   
so often. This comes so naturally to me. It's not perfect, but it's   
good enough. _A few minutes later, classical music could be   
heard coming from the Ikari household. Shinji had only gotten   
through a third of the way through the song when he was   
interrupted by the doorbell.

At the door was a young girl of about eight years of age. The   
girl had light brown hair that went down to the small of her back   
in a long braid and violet eyes. She wore a cute little blue jumper   
over a white long-sleeved shirt and a frown. It was Kotoko, the   
neighbors' daughter. She'd always been like a little sister to him.   
"Hello."

"Shinji-san..." She answered clearly annoyed. "You   
promised me you'd invite me over the next time you played!"   
She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. 

Shinji smiled at the little girl. "Of course, how could I   
forget? Come in, Ko-chan."

The child smiled brightly and stepped through the doorway.   
"Thank you." She took off her shoes and followed Shinji to the   
living room. He took his seat on the couch while she sat in front   
of him, Indian-style. She watched in awe as music began to flow   
from the cello once again. Shinji looked up at her to see she had   
to himself. _Such a cute little girl._ He, too, closed his eyes.   
Shinji's hands went on auto-pilot as he listened to the tune being   
produced by his cello, Pachelbel's 'Kanon.'

Half an hour later, Shinji received a standing ovation from   
his one-person audience. "You're really good, Shinji-san."

Shinji smiled at the girl again. "Thanks, Ko-chan."

"I have to leave now, I told mother I wouldn't be here long."   
She got up to get her shoes.

Shinji followed to see her out. "Oh, yeah. Are you ready for   
tomorrow?" He asked as she opened the door.

"Yeah!" Kotoko answered enthusiastically. "Mother got me   
a new swimsuit and everything!"

"Be ready to leave for Nozomi's at ten after six. Okay?"

"Hai!" She exclaimed. She bid him farewell and went back   
to her apartment. Shinji smiled at the girl's excitement and   
closed the door.

For almost two hours, Shinji watched television before   
deciding to start dinner. He perused through the kitchen for the   
ingredients for stir fry for five; half vegetable, half beef. And he   
also got a bottle of sake for the adults. Not for the first time,   
Shinji was grateful to whatever higher power that gave him such   
trusting parents. He laughed to himself. _Of course, I would never   
purposefully betray that trust..._ Twenty minutes later, the stir fry   
was done and he was starting to set the table for dinner.

"Tadaima!" Shinji's mother called out from the front door.

"Okaerinasai!" Shinji answered.

Yui walked into the room just as Shinji came in with the stir   
fry. She sniffed the air. "Mmm, it smells delicious, Shinji-kun."   
Shinji's father nodded in approval from behind her.

Shinji placed the two bowls in the center of the table.   
"Arigatougozaimasu. Kaasan, Tousan." He beamed before   
returning to the kitchen for rice. He came back to find that his   
parents had left to change clothes. From the table, it could be   
heard that front door had just slid open and from it came Kyoko   
Zeppelin Sohryu's cheery voice.

"Ojamashimasu!"

"Hello, Sohryu-san." Answered Shinji as he returned to the   
kitchen once more to start the tea.

Yui stuck her head out of her and Gendo's room. "Hello,   
Kyoko-san. Asuka-kun."

"Hello, Yui-san." Answered Kyoko.

"Hello, Ikari-san." Responded Asuka at the same time as her   
mother. Yui and Gendo left the room to talk with their long-time   
friend. Asuka escaped the parental chatter by joining Shinji in   
the kitchen. "Hey, Shinji-kun. How's the tea coming?" She said   
sweetly.

"Almost done." _Looks like her mood's gotten better..._ Shinji   
said to himself, seeing Asuka sit down and putting her elbows on   
the table then resting her chin in her hands. She had a big smile   
on her face. He pulled a serving tray from a cabinet above the   
oven.

Asuka sighed contentedly. "I got to see my step-daddy's   
friend today..."

Shinji smiled at her, _That explains it. Kaji-san..._ He placed   
five tea cups on the tray. Asuka stood up, got the tea, and poured   
it for Shinji. This surprised the boy. "Umm, thanks..." _Something   
really good must've happened._ He picked up the tray and led   
Asuka into the den. 

Everyone took their seats around the table in the dining   
room. Shinji served everyone the tea and took his own seat.   
"Itadaki-masu!" They all said before beginning the meal.

"So, how was school today, you two?" Yui asked Shinji and   
Asuka.

"Boring, as usual." Asuka sighed.

Shinji smiled at her standard response.  "Wasn't that bad..."

Asuka smirked at him. "You're just saying that, because   
_you_... got to talk to a giirrrl..." She teased.

Shinji nearly fell out of his chair. "It's not like that!" He felt   
the heat that began to rise in his cheeks. It didn't go unnoticed.

"Aw... He's blushing!" Said Kyoko as she decided join her   
daughter in teasing the young boy. Of course, having it brought   
to the light, Shinji's blush deepened.

"Oh, come on, Shinji-chan! What's her name? What's she   
like?" Urged Yui. "Have you guys kissed, yet?" She   
mischievously added.

The red in Shinji's cheeks spread to the rest of his face.   
"Kaasan!"

Yui grinned at her son. "Okay, okay!" She conceded.   
"Well?"

"Her name's Rei Ayanami. She just started school today.   
And she's..."

"... an annoying little girl." Asuka interrupted.

"Asuka!" Kyoko admonished.

She just shrugged. "Well, it's true."

Shinji jumped to Rei's defense. "No, it's not! You just didn't   
take the time to get to know Ayanami."

"And, _you_ can't see far enough past her pretty face to admit   
that she's got a personality problem." She retorted calmly.

Gendo cleared his throat, getting the attention of everyone at   
the table. "Asuka. Shinji is correct. You did not give   
Ayanami-san a fair chance." Asuka simply huffed. Shinji   
grinned, while his father returned it with a small smirk. As   
uncaring as Gendo could sometimes be, he had his moments. Yui   
smiled at the exchange between her husband and their son.

Asuka slammed her palms on the table. "Argh!" She jumped   
up from the table ran out the door.

Kyoko started for her daughter, but was stopped by Shinji.   
"I'll get her." He said before he sprinted out after her.

Kyoko laughed lightly. "Those two are lucky to have each   
other."

Yui nodded. "Hmm. Yes. They are." She commented. "Oh,   
yes. I forgot to ask. Why couldn't Hejiko come?"

"He couldn't get away from work. As hard as he tried, he   
couldn't get off night shift tonight." Kyoko answered. Hejiko   
Sohryu was a police officer in the Tokyo police force. He and   
Kyoko met in the year 2009, four years after the death of her   
former husband. Both Asuka and her mother decided to keep the   
surname out of respect. When Hejiko proposed in 2012; on   
Asuka's request, Kyoko accepted on the condition that he took   
the Sohryu family name. Hejiko, of course very much in love,   
accepted the terms. The engagement lasted a year before they   
married. Two years later, the trio turned out to be one of the   
happiest families anyone could meet.

 "Shinji left the sake in the kitchen." Gendo observed after   
the three had finished eating.

Yui picked up a few of the empty dishes. "Well, dear let's go   
in there and finish our meal." Gendo nodded and took the   
remaining dishes, leaving the ones that still had food on them,   
and stepped followed his wife. He motioned for Kyoko to follow   
him. Once in the kitchen, both of the Ikaris dumped off the plates   
in the sink for Shinji to do later. Meanwhile, Kyoko got the   
bottle of sake that had been left out and, after a quick inquisition,   
got a few ochokos from one of the upper cabinets. She set them   
out on the table after she had given the sake to Yui, who thanked   
her as she took her seat. Yui waited for her husband to take his   
seat before pouring out the rice wine for the three of them. 

[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]

Outside Shinji was searching for where Asuka had gone. The   
soft glow of the moon didn't give enough light to make the   
search very easy. A voice in the dark nearly caused him to jump   
up.

"Shinji-san?" Whispered a diminutive figure in the hallway   
who was shrouded in the shadows.

Shinji recognized the voice. "Ko-chan? Is that you?"

Kotoko gingerly stepped into the moonlight. "Yes." She   
answered in a hushed tone. "I heard Asuka-san slam the door a   
minute ago. What happened to her?"

"She got angry with me because I sided with a new girl in   
school instead of her."

A confused look was fixed on her face. "Oh. But, that's not a   
reason to be angry enough to go make that much noise in the   
evening."

Shinji laughed silently. _She's as smart as Toji's sister._ "Yes.   
Well, according to her, it's because she said I was a jerk and   
claimed me and Asuka had an improper relationship this   
morning. But..."

Kotoko interrupted him, her demeanor turned to one similar   
to the one that Asuka had earlier in the day. "Then, I was wrong!   
No one insults my Shinji-san!" She jumped at Shinji and   
possessively latched on to his arm. Kotoko was very protective   
of her 'older brother.'

Shinji quietly laughed at the young girl. "Now, Ko-chan.   
You didn't let me finish." He admonished, which got an   
embarrassed blush from the child attached to his appendage.   
Though Shinji didn't see it. She let go and took a step back.   
Shinji read her expression and knew she wanted an explanation.   
"I'll do that at another time. Now, I have to get to Asuka." She   
nodded and reluctantly started to walk to her apartment. "Come   
with me." Shinji smiled held his hand out to her. "I might need   
your help." She dashed back and gleefully took his hand in hers.

They found Asuka sulking a on the other side of the complex   
leaning over the rail. She was staring five stories down to the   
street below. Shinji cleared his throat out loud before   
approaching. She did _not_ like being snuck up on. He   
remembered the last time he did so. The bruise didn't clear up   
until after a whole week. "Are you okay?" He asked in a low   
voice. Asuka stayed quiet for a few moments before saying she   
was okay. His mind was in conflict. He didn't know what to do.   
After much deliberation, his hand released Kotoko's and found   
its way onto Asuka's shoulder. She stiffened slightly, then   
relaxed and stood up to face him. Kotoko, realizing that Shinji   
could handle the rest on his own, silently slinked away. Shinji   
looked into Asuka's ice blue eyes and asked her again. They   
gleamed in the moonlight. "Daijobu desu ka?" She nodded. "Do   
you want talk about it?"

Asuka shook her head. "Another time." She whispered,   
leaning into him.

Shinji took her into his arms like he had done so many times   
in the past, though she'd never admit to it. Five minutes passed   
and she started to laugh. "What is it?"

"Wasn't Kotoko with you?" Asuka said, between giggles.   
Shinji moved his head around to search for the girl for a few   
seconds. "Baka-Shinji." She whispered in mock anger. "How   
could lose such a sweet little girl?" Asuka knew of the   
sibling-type relationship the two shared. She thought of the girl   
as a sister too.

Shinji placed his forehead on his friend's shoulder and   
feigned a sob. "Oh, no! Whatever am I to do?" He cried out   
melodramatically.

Asuka shoved him lightly. "Shut up, you. Come on, let's   
go." They made their way back to Shinji's apartment. When they   
arrived they were met by the sounds of their parents in kitchen   
talking over sake. Asuka informed them they were back and   
would be talking in the living room. First they finished their   
meals, then they both took a seat on the couch. "So," Asuka   
started. "Why did you decide to defend that the... new girl?   
We've been friends for years. You should have taken my side."

Shinji noticed that she made the effort not to call Rei bitch.   
He smiled. "Because what you were saying wasn't true." Asuka   
was about to argue, but Shinji raised a hand to stop her. Luckily,   
he was one of the few people that she allowed to do that without   
the consequence of a beating. Had it been anyone else, she   
would have yelled at him after hitting him. "You saw us talking   
at lunch today. I got to know her and she's really nice."

"I still don't understand why. When she introduced herself   
this morning, she practically called you a pervert."

Shinji couldn't help but laugh, which got a deep frown from   
Asuka. "Well, you _do_ call me a pervert, and we're friends." He   
said pointing at her.

Asuka put on a broad smile and nudged Shinji with her   
elbow. "Well, that's because I know you. She shouldn't make   
assumptions. And she insulted me, too. Remember?"

Shinji was about to argue with _their_ first meeting, but   
decided against it. "Fair enough. But, can't you at least try to get   
along with her? Especially since, I get along with her. I don't   
want stop hanging out with you, just because she and I are   
friends."

She studied him for a moment. "Okay, I'll try. But, only   
because a baka like you needs all the friends he can get."

He offered her a little smile. "That's all I ask." The   
conversation then turned to more random topics. They talked   
about school, the people coming into Tokyo, and what they   
should do for the weekend. Before long, Asuka's mother finally   
announced it was time to leave. The Ikaris all saw both mother   
and child to the door and bid them good night. Shinji's parents   
went into their bedroom while he picked up the remaining plates   
and brought them to sink so he could wash them. After he was   
finished with that, he retreated to his bedroom to do his   
homework.

[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]

A few seconds passed in the elevator before Kyoko spoke to   
her daughter. "So, how did Shinji calm you down this time? Did   
he _kiss_ you?" She teased.

Asuka's face immediately became red and turned to face her   
mother. "Mama!" She moaned as the elevator slowed to a stop.   
The doors slid open to reveal second floor of the apartment   
complex, location of the Sohryu residence. "Stop teasing me   
about us!" She said stepping out into the hall. "It's nothing."

"I detect a hint of sadness in your voice." Kyoko prodded,   
following Asuka.

"Stop that!" Asuka whined. She then twirled around to   
continue walking to the apartment. She was stopped in her tracks   
by a man who was approaching them. "Papa!" She cried out as   
she closed in on the figure and hugged him.

"I got home and no one was there, so I was on my way to see   
if I could catch up with you guys." Hejiko explained as he   
returned his child's embrace.

"But, what about work?" Kyoko asked.

"I was finally able to get someone to take my shift. Guess,   
I'm a little late, though, huh?" He joked. They arrived at their   
home and he opened the door.

Asuka went off to her room while her mother went to make   
something for her father. She walked in, closed the door behind   
her, and plopped herself down on her bed. The day's events ran   
through her mind. _I can't believe I said I would try to get along   
with that girl. I know Shinji can be a baka sometimes, but I don't   
see why he likes _her_ so much._ The image of lunch went into her   
thoughts. _I guess I should be happy for him, though. He's usually   
so depressed around new people. It's been years since he   
actually opened up to other people. I mean, only being able to   
talk with a handful of people is ridiculous._ Her mind drifted back   
to when both families moved to Tokyo, eight years ago. 

~-~-~-~-~-~- Eight years ago; Kyoto -~-~-~-~-~

_"But, we haven't even lived here a year! Why do we have to   
move again?"_

_"Because, Asuka, Mama got a job in Tokyo that pays better   
than my job now. Besides I thought you want to be somewhere   
with more people, and more kids your age."_

_"I do, Mama. But, why so far?"_

_"It'll be okay Asuka, darling. You will have at least one   
friend when we get there. Shinji's family is moving, too."_

I'll go talk to him about it. _Asuka thought. "Okay." She   
started for the door. "I'm going over to his house."_

_"Alright." Her mother replied. "Be back in time for dinner."_

[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]

_Mrs. Ikari had been happy to Asuka when she announced   
herself. She told her to go right to Shinji's room. She had been   
there before, so she didn't think that much of it. She knocked on   
the door once she got there. The response she got took her   
completely off guard._

_"Go away." Said a voice from inside._

_Asuka's cheeks puffed up in anger. "Don't you talk to me   
like that! Open this door, or you'll regret it!" She shouted. She   
gasped when the door finally did open. The young boy lost all   
the life in his eyes. His gaze was directed downwards and he   
stared blankly at whatever happened to cross into his range of   
vision. "What's wrong?" Asuka asked, her sharp tone softening   
considerably._

_"We're moving..." Shinji answered, barely above a whisper.   
He turned around and retreated back into his room._

_Asuka followed him. "Is that all? It's not that bad."_

_"That's easy for you to say. You've haven't been here as   
long as I have and you have more friends than I do."_

_Asuka failed to see a connection. "What does that have to do   
with anything?"_

_Shinji laid down on his bed. "It's just that you make friends   
so easily. It took me a long time to get the friends I have now.   
We're going to be in a whole new place. So far away. So far   
from everything I know. _Everyone_ I know."_

_Asuka remembered her own reasons why she didn't want to   
move. They paled in comparison. "It's going to be okay." She   
comforted, leaning over the boy. "I'm moving, too. I'll be there   
with you. You'll at least know me." She finished, trying to put   
cheer in her voice. Judging by his reaction, or lack thereof, she   
failed._

_He laughed sadly. "Thanks for trying, but can you leave me   
alone for now? Please?"_

_She was unable to say no. He sounded so pleading. So, she   
left the room. She turned and close the door in time to him put on   
the SDAT player she picked out for her mama to give to him for   
his last birthday..._

~-~-~-~-~ Eight years ago; Tokyo -~-~-~-~-~

_Asuka was talking with her new friends when she looked   
over to Shinji's desk. He was staring into his lunchbox, pushing   
the food around with his chopsticks. He was right, it was a week   
after they had moved into Tokyo and three days since they   
started school, and he didn't have any friends. He was also right   
about her, aside from the girls she was talking to, she had a few   
others who were enjoying their lunch outside. She excused   
herself from the group and made her way over to Shinji's desk.   
"Come on, you're coming with me." She commanded. "And   
bring your lunch."_

_Shinji didn't have the energy to protest. He did what he was   
told._

_Asuka led him outside to where one of her new   
acquaintances was having lunch. She was with two boys. One   
had glasses. The other had his ear in the hand of Asuka's friend.   
He had apparently done something to make her angry. The girl   
saw her coming. "Hi, Asuka! Hey, who's that?" She asked,   
eyeing Shinji._

_Shinji simply stared at his lunch. The girl tilted her head to   
the side. "He's a friend of mine from back in Kyoto. His name's   
Shinji." Asuka answered._

_The girl let go of the boy's ear and stepped up to him. She   
studied him carefully. "Yeah, that's right you started here the   
same time as Asuka, right? Nice to meet you, Shinji. My name's   
Hikari..." The girl said with a big smile._

~-~-~-~-~ Present; Asuka's bedroom -~-~-~-~-~

Asuka smiled at the memory. "He still has a long way to   
go..." She sighed.

[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]

Shinji laid in his bed staring up at the ceiling of his room. He   
listened to the classical music that flowed from his SDAT. _Rei   
Ayanami. A mysterious girl. She'll act happy when everyone's   
watching her, but become so indifferent when it come to anyone   
but her friends... I wonder why..._ He thinks back to how she was   
when they were alone talking, then to how she reacted to him   
when she thought he was insincere about talking to her. An   
image of both Asuka and Rei popped into his head. They were   
back to back, staring in opposite directions. _Asuka... Rei... So   
different... Now that I think about it, I guess it makes sense. Of   
course they rub off on each other the wrong way, their   
personalities are complete opposites. Rei's more subdued, while   
Asuka can't be tamed._ The last point made him blush. He   
rebuked himself for thinking that way. A thought crossed his   
mind. _Heh, fire and ice..._ With that final fleeting thought, he   
drifted off into slumber.

[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]

Shinji got up early in the morning and decided to surprise his   
family with breakfast. His parents greeted him good morning as   
he finished cooking. He excused himself to go take a bath and   
get ready for school. The doorbell rang as he left his room, fully   
dressed in his uniform. "I got it." He told his mother as he passed   
the kitchen. He opened the front door to find Asuka. She was   
clearly surprised to see him answer the door. "It's Asuka." He   
called out. "Ittekimasu!"

"Itterasshai!" He heard his mother answer as he closed the   
door behind him.

Asuka finally spoke up. "Hmm, it's been a while since you   
got up on your own in a while. What's got you in such a rush?   
Or should I ask _who_?" She teased.

"Asuka!" Shinji whined. He knew who she was talking   
about. Though, he wasn't sure if it was true or not.

[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]=======[]

Rei woke up early in her new apartment building. Her body   
was conditioned to wake up around that time everyday. She sat   
up and stretched, then balled up her left hand brought it up to her   
face to rub the sleep from her eye. She rose from her bed and   
crept over to her bathroom. Fifteen minutes later, she left the   
bathroom freshly showered and drying herself with a towel.   
Water dripped off her body as she plodded over to her dresser.   
She slipped her uniform over her damp skin and grabbed her   
bag. A slight breeze greeted her as she stepped out of the   
apartment. She went next door to tell her parents of her   
departure. Because of the size of the apartments of the complex   
they chose to live in, Rei and her parents live in separate homes.   
She didn't mind. In fact, she liked living basically by herself.   
Minutes later, she walked down the necessary three flights of   
stairs to get to the ground floor and was on her way.

She silently strolled through the streets, thinking of the   
people she's met. _Misato Katsuragi. The teacher of class 2-A. A   
bit lax in her responsibilities. She did not discipline the class   
yesterday, instead she encouraged the behavior. Hikari Horaki.   
Class 2-A's Inchou. Respectable and authoritative. Worthy of   
her position. Asuka Sohryu. Argumentative, unpleasant to be   
around, but a friend of Shinji Ikari. Ikari... I am unsure of what I   
think of him. He is kind, sincere, and he defended me yesterday._   
At that last point, her face felt flush. She noticed her surrounding   
and realized which block she was on. Her mind went to the   
incident of the day before. She felt the heat rise in her face again   
as she neared the corner.

"..._have _to join us?" Complained a familiar voice from the   
other side of the corner.

Rei knew the voice was close so she stopped to let whoever   
it was past. Flaming red hair filled her vision as its owner glared   
at her companion while strafing sideways. Rei watched the two   
figures until she recognized the second. "Ikari-kun?"

Shinji looked past Asuka to the girl who had said his name.   
Asuka spun around and refocused her glare to the girl that took   
Shinji's attention from her. Her eyes narrowed even further as   
Rei came into view.

Shinji sensed that something bad was going happen. He   
spoke up before Asuka could do anything. "You want to walk   
with us, Ayanami?" Shinji flinched as Asuka turned to face him,   
an angry look fixed on her face. He shook it off and just   
shrugged.

Rei thought over the request for a moment. "I... would like   
that, Ikari-kun." She answered, abandoning her own route to join   
them.

For the first couple of blocks, they walked in silence. Shinji   
finally broke it by asking if Rei'd been anywhere in Tokyo yet.   
When she replied no, Shinji and Asuka began rattling off good   
places eat, shop, and be with friends.

Rei took note of all the places the sounded interesting to her.   
In the back of her mind, though, she couldn't help but wonder   
what she had heard right before she saw them. _'Join us.' _She   
repeated in her mind. _Who could she have been talking about?   
And what place? Or event?_

To Be Continued...

And with that I kick-off a series I can hopefully finish. Just so you all know, I'm not giving up the   
planned pairing for this fic. Though, I think it's pretty obvious... But, who knows? I might throw   
y'all a curve.

Now, I know some people will think the characters are OOC. But, I'll explain that right now.   
The way I see it is that they aren't as screwed up as they are in the anime or manga, because they   
had a more normal upbringing. Shinji has both parents, Asuka's mother didn't kill herself, and   
Rei wasn't born in a lab and raised with only a singular purpose. So, I brought down the more   
extreme parts of their personality down a few notches. And also, the way I see it, if the characters   
are _exactly_ in character, the story can only be a retelling of the anime or manga. That being said;   
any reviews, comments, or suggestions can be sent to LQsniper@MSN.com.


	2. Places to Go

All right, this post officially makes this a multi-chapter Ep26 AU. ^_^ Down below I'm putting   
my response to some of my reviewers before I start the story. Side Note: How scary... I'm on   
someone's favorites list. Just label me shocked.

To my reviewers: Thanks to all for the positive reviews! Even   
though I think this has a long way to go to be considered good...   
^_^;

To Anonymous: Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I think   
I'll wait a while before trying to post anywhere other than ff.n. I   
have an annoying habit of letting my writings die... :-(

To dennisud: Thanks for re-reviewing!

To                      : I don't think there are too many Japanese   
words. It shouldn't be too hard to follow since I tried to keep the   
words and phrases as independent sentences.

To Gara: I agree. Heh, in this chapter I'm including the word   
'gomen.' And any Evangelion fan who doesn't know what it   
means should be dragged into the street and shot. lol j/k

To AnimEd: By your suggestion, I read Garden of Eva. I think it   
should be considered a Post-Third Impact fic. So, I still contend   
that this is the first multi-chaptered fic of the AU.

To andi: How 'bout a compromise? I'll put the translations right   
after the word.

To Monkeys: It's because it's not enough to base a personality   
on. Everyone else's stayed pretty much the same, while Rei   
came out with a completely new one. I couldn't have her acting   
that way all the time. Anyway, I plan to delve into a reason why   
in the next chapter. And besides, I happen to like her personality   
type. Especially since I have that personality type :-Þ

Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion. Is it really   
necessary for me to repeat this?

A World Without Eva

Chapter 2 – Places to go

"Are you sure about this, Ikari-kun?" Rei asked as Shinji led   
her up the stairs.

"Of course," Shinji reassured. "We've got to do it   
sometime." He stopped at the door.

Rei shook her head. "I am not sure about this..." She started   
back down the steps, but was stopped when Shinji tighten his   
grip slightly. They stood and stared at each other for a few   
moments.

Shinji finally broke the silence. "It'll be all right." He placed   
his hand on the doorknob and took another look at Rei. After a   
few moments, she nodded her affirmation. He slowly opened the   
door and led her through it.

[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]

"When are they coming?" Asked Asuka.

"They said that they're coming on Monday." Answered   
Hikari. Then, she noticed the two people who just got on the   
roof. Toji and Kensuke looked up from their lunch when they   
heard Hikari greet them. Asuka just hmph'ed.

"Who's coming on Monday?" Inquired Shinji, leading Rei to   
the railing overlooking the school grounds.

"New students. I was told today that their personal files would be   
on my computer Monday morning."

"What are their names?"

"Um, I think one of their names was Kaoru. And, the other...   
uh... I forgot it." Hikari said with a laugh. "I wonder what they're like..."

Shinji heard Asuka mutter something. He only heard the last   
part, '...can't be worse than the last one.' Shinji took a quick   
peek at Rei, who was leaning against the building and gazing at   
the passing clouds, to see if she had heard. Apparently, she   
didn't, because her expression didn't change. But, he knew that   
he couldn't count on that. Hikari and Shinji gave Asuka a   
disapproving look. Toji and Kensuke snickered. Asuka just   
shrugged them all off.

Shinji stepped over to her. "You said you'd try." He said   
simply, trying to keep Rei from hearing. Rei made no outward   
response, but heard what he said.

Asuka glanced over to Rei, then turned back over to Shinji.   
"I said I'd get try along with her. I didn't say I'd start to like   
her." She whispered back. Shinji's only response was a deep   
sigh. Asuka rolled her eyes. "Oh, alright." She raised her voice.   
"Hey, Ayanami."

Rei didn't visibly react. Asuka started to walk over to her,   
angry. She _didn't _like to be ignored. Shinji reached out and   
stopped her. Asuka turned her glare to him. "Go ahead. She's   
listening." An invisible smile graced Rei's lips, unnoticed.

"Okay..." Asuka said with a quizzical glance at Shinji.   
"What are you doing tomorrow? Hikari and I were going to go   
shopping, you want to come with us?" Without looking down,   
Rei answered with a simple 'no.' Asuka wasn't pleased. "And   
why not?! Are you too good to hang out with us?"

Rei stopped staring at the sky to give Asuka an indifferent   
look. "I am not implying that. The reason I do not wish to join   
you is that I have already made plans for tomorrow."

Asuka was about to say something, but Shinji cut her off.   
"Where are you going?"

Some of the indifference in her expression went away as she   
answered. "I'm going to the beach in the afternoon."

"Oh," Hikari interjected. "Me and Shinji are taking my sister   
and a few of her friends to the beach today. Why don't you come   
with us? That way, you won't have to go tomorrow and you can   
come with me and Asuka." She suggested.

Rei thought about that for a few moments before replying. "I   
cannot. I have some things to do."

"Okay. Maybe next time." Hikari smirked at Toji and   
Kensuke, then turned back to Rei. "I'm warning you. While   
you're at the beach, look out for those two perverts." She said,   
jerking her thumb towards the perverts in question. "They might   
try to sneak around and take pictures of you in your swimsuit to   
sell around in school."

"Hey!" Shouted Toji. "Who said we were gonna try that?!"

"I've already had to break up your picture racket twice this   
year!" Hikari shouted back. Toji winced, those were two very   
painful days.

"Do not worry." Rei said. "Ikari-kun has already warned   
me."

Toji and Kensuke glared at Shinji. Their glares practically   
screamed 'Traitor!' He laughed nervously.

Hikari spoke up to save Shinji from certain injury. "So, Toji.   
Are you sure you can't come today with your sister?"

Toji looked away from Shinji. "Yeah, I'm sure. Dad's got   
me doing something." Then he glared at Kensuke. "And I got   
dragged into going out into the rice fields later tonight up until   
tomorrow morning."

Kensuke just shrugged. "What can I say? I'm good at   
persuasion. And playing war isn't that much fun by myself."

Shinji laughed. "And he's never been able to convince me to   
go."

Kensuke shrugged again. "There are just some people I just   
can't persuade to do anything."

Rei spoke up in a soft voice. "Everyone has said what they   
plan to do this Sunday except you, Ikari-kun."

He shrugged. "Well, umm... Guess I haven't made any   
plans."

"I'll bet you want to join the new girl at the beach   
tomorrow." Asuka teased. "Just so you can see her in her   
swimsuit."

Shinji blushed at the thought. As did Rei, though she kept   
her gaze upwards so no one would see. "Asuka!" Shinji exclaimed.   
Asuka just giggled at his embarrassment. Shinji was just glad Rei   
was there. Otherwise, Toji and Kensuke would've   
joined Asuka in teasing him.

As they got into a more random conversation, Rei took her   
attention from the clouds above and sat back and observed the   
interaction between Shinji and his friends. _So... this is what they   
were talking about earlier in the morning..._ She watched as they   
laughed about something. _I know now about Ikari-kun. He is a   
friend. Being around him will be... interesting..._

[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]

When Shinji arrived home he went straight to his room and   
dropped down onto his bed. It being Saturday, clean-up duty was   
split among all the students. It was five and he decided to take a   
nap.

He was taken out of his slumber by a knock at his door.   
"Shinji." Came the voice of his mother. She had arrived home   
thirty minutes after he had. "Wake up. Kotoko is here for you."

Shinji looked up at his digital clock. _She's ten minutes early.   
_He groaned as he rose from his bed. Somehow, he had thrashed   
around enough in his sleep to end up laying on his side with his   
pillow just under his ribs. He let out another groan as he   
stretched the kinks out of his back.

Outside the door, Yui laughed softly. She had opened looked   
in on him when she got home and saw him in the precarious   
position that caused his discomfort. With a smile on her face she   
when over to the front door and told the violet-eyed young girl to   
go ahead to Shinji's room.

Kotoko nodded and hurried off to the room, the small bag   
she had that contained her swimsuit bumped against her leg a   
few times. She knocked on the door a few times before letting   
herself in. She knew Shinji wouldn't mind.

"Hey, Ko-chan." Shinji greeted. He had just pulled out a few   
yen notes from his desk drawer and was putting them into his   
pocket. Shinji ushered the little girl out of his room. They said   
goodbye to Yui before leaving the apartment.

Minutes later, they were at the door of another apartment in   
the complex. Shinji knocked and they waited for the last person   
to round out their group. Another little girl of the same age as   
Kotoko answered. She, too, had a bag holding a swimsuit. "Hi,   
Kotoko."

"Hi, Sakura."

Shinji looked down to the girl. "You ready to go?"

Her reddish-brown locks shook as she nodded emphatically.   
Her bright smile was seemingly mirrored in her emerald green   
eyes. "Oniisan, I'm going now." She called into the apartment.

"Alright, have fun." Answered the child's older brother.

The trio made their way down to the street and Shinji   
flagged down a taxi cab. On the way, Shinji leaned back in his   
seat and closed his eyes trying to get rid of the last bit of   
tiredness left in his body. Said body was rocked back and forth   
by four small hands as the three reached their destination. Seeing   
that he was fully awake the pair stopped and got out. The two   
excited children bounded up to the door of the small house they   
arrived at and knocked on it.

Shinji just smiled and paid the driver before getting out of   
the cab. He smiled as he saw the two enthusiastic children were   
met by four other children, who were as equally enthusiastic.

The girl who answered the door waved at him. He returned   
the gesture. It was Hikari's little sister, Nozomi. Behind her were   
Toji's little sister Mari and two other girls from their class, Rika   
and Chiharu.

"Who is it?" Called a voice from the kitchen. Shinji was not   
close enough to tell, but he assumed it was Hikari's since he   
knew that she did most of the cooking for her family.

"It's Kotoko and Sakura." Nozomi answered as the group of   
girls made their way to the living room.

"Oh, could you tell Shinji to... Ah!"

Shinji heard Hikari yelp out in pain and quickly took off his   
shoes and went into the kitchen. He saw Hikari over a chopping   
board, nursing her finger. "Are you okay?" Hikari nearly jumped   
in surprise when she heard Shinji's voice. He stepped over to   
take a look at Hikari's finger. It was only a light cut and only had   
a small trickle of blood coming from it. Shinji called to Nozomi   
to get something for Hikari's finger while he led her to the sink.   
While Hikari blushed nearly the entire time. Other than her   
parents, no one had ever fussed over her like that.

_What a nice guy..._ Thought Hikari as Shinji put her finger   
under the running water. "Thanks." She said.

Shinji just nodded. He kept his concentration on putting   
pressure on the wound. Though there wasn't all that much blood,  
 it did slow what bleeding that _was_ there. Nozomi appeared a   
minute later with a band aid. Shinji thanked her as he took it   
from her.

Nozomi watched as the boy unwrapped it with one hand and   
gently put it around her sister's finger. Once she was sure Hikari   
was all right, she left the kitchen to rejoin her friends.

Hikari smiled at Shinji. "As long as you're in here, would   
you help me finish making these sandwiches?"

"Sure." Shinji picked up a knife and continued slicing the   
tomatoes that Hikari had started before she cut herself. They   
finished after ten minutes. By then, the group of girls changed   
into their suits and put their clothes back over them, Hikari did   
as well.

[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]

Another ten minutes later, the whole group of eight was on a   
train towards the beach.

Hikari leaned back in her seat. "Shinji?"  She turned her   
head to see him listening to his SDAT. She smiled and tapped   
him on the shoulder.

He looked up at her and took off one of the earbuds. "Yes?"

"Asuka told me something on Thursday." She quickly turned   
away from his curious gaze. "She said something happened   
when she tried to wake you up."

Shinji paled and nearly dropped his SDAT. "What did Asuka   
say?" He asked, putting a tighter grip on the tape player. He   
watched Hikari's cheeks redden as she relayed what Asuka had   
told her. _Why does Asuka do that?_ Shinji asked himself. "Really   
what happened was... umm..." The crimson from Hikari's face   
transferred over to Shinji's. "Uhh... It was morning and, uhh...   
She... snatched the covers off me... And... it... I..."

Hikari stopped him before his head exploded from excess   
blood flow. "I understand."

Shinji let out a grateful breath. "Thank you." Hikari giggled   
at him, causing him to laugh too.

"I knew there was something to it." Hikari said after her   
laughter died down. They sat wordless as the shadows of the   
surrounding buildings passed through the train windows. "I   
knew you weren't like that..." She said, scarcely over a whisper.

Shinji barely heard her over the kids talking around them.   
"Hmm?"

Hikari's eyes widened in surprise. "Huh? I didn't say   
anything."

"Alright..." Shinji said, unsure. He put the earbud back and   
lost himself in his thoughts as he listened to his music.

[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]

They arrived at the beach at quarter past seven. The girls got   
out of their outer layers of clothing while Shinji set out a few   
blankets and put aside a set of towels. He was getting ready to sit   
in the sand when he got hit in the back of the head with a   
volleyball. He whirled around and saw the girls giggling at him.    
He smiled and tossed the ball back. Kotoko caught it and asked   
Shinji to join them. He smiled at her and walked over. They   
knocked the ball around a while, until the girls felt like   
swimming. Shinji headed back over to the towels to make sure   
the sandwiches would be ready when the girls were. When he   
finished he leaned back on one of the towels and closed his eyes.

Shinji laughed inwardly. _I can't believe that Asuka said that   
I tried to jump her. Good thing that Hikari-san didn't believe   
her... I wonder what she said on the train._ He thought back to try   
to figure out what she said. Not finding an answer, his thoughts   
turned to something else. _I wonder what the new students will be   
like. Hope they're nice..._ Shinji's thoughts were broken by   
Hikari's voice.

"Someone really needs to teach you to swim."

While keeping his eyes closed, Shinji smiled, then answered.   
"Humans aren't made to float." Hikari giggled with her hand   
over her mouth. That was always his answer. Shinji opened his   
eyes and looked at her. His eyes widened slightly. He hadn't   
really taken a good look at her in her conservative white   
one-piece during their volleyball game. As he did with most   
things, he only kept half his mind on what he was doing and   
didn't notice how attractive his class' representative looked in it.   
He tore his gaze from Hikari and put it on the girls playing in the   
water. "Besides, you don't plan on doing that while we have to   
watch them, do you?" 

Hikari stammered in her response. "I-I didn't mean me!" She   
turned to look out at the ocean, bright red. She huffed when   
Shinji started to laugh. "Maybe you _are _the pervert Asuka makes   
you out to be..." She said with a smirk.

Shinji let out a strangled yelp. "Hey! No fair..."

Hikari giggled at him again before heading for the water.   
"Come on. At least join us in the shallow water."

"Oh, alright..." Shinji answered. He got up from the towel,   
brushed off some sand, and ran after Hikari.

[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]

Hikari smiled to herself as she began cooking dinner. _I can't   
remember the last time Shinji-kun smiled and laughed so much..._   
It was just something simple, a splash fight between the elders of   
the group and the younger ones. Heat rose in Hikari's cheeks as   
she thought of the conversation she and Shinji had afterwards.   
She started humming as she returned to her cooking.

This didn't go unnoticed. Hikari was being watched by her   
older sister by three years, Kodama. Curious, she went into the   
living room where Nozomi was watching TV. "What's with   
Hikari? She's happier than usual."

Nozomi just looked at her eldest sister and shrugged. "I   
don't know. She's been that way since we got back."

"Hmm." Kodama went back into the kitchen to see Hikari   
putting some vegetables into a pot. "What's up? You seem   
happy today..."

"Do I?" Answered Hikari. A big smile was still present on   
her face.

Kodama laughed, then approached Hikari. Hikari yelped in   
surprise as her sister pulled her to the middle of the kitchen.   
Kodama put her hand to her chin as if she were examining the   
freckled young girl. "Hmm..." She circled around Hikari. "A   
bigger than usual smile... A slight glow... A little shine in your   
eye..." Kodama laughed lightly as Hikari started to wring her   
hands. "And that, right there, is a dead giveaway. It's a boy!"   
She exclaimed.

"Kodama!" Hikari whined, turning red.

"Well?" Kodama urged.

Hikari went back over to the stove. "Sort of..." She said in a   
low voice.

"Ha ha! I knew it! So? Who is it?"

"I've already told you all I'm going to tell you."

"Come on, sis! Just give me a name!"

"Okay. How about yours? Kodama Horaki." Hikari   
answered with a giggle.

Kodama frowned. "Okay, that's all right. I'll get it out of   
you eventually." With that she left Hikari to finish dinner. She   
headed off into her room. She was the only one of the Horaki   
sisters with her own room. Her sisters shared a room next to   
hers. Their father was down the hall. They also had one more   
room, but Nozomi preferred sleeping with Hikari rather than   
sleeping by herself. So, they kept that room for guests. _Why   
couldn't she tell me who her guy is? I just want to make sure he   
isn't a jerk..._ Kodama never really had a good track record with   
relationships. The guys she went out with were either guys she'd   
rather be friends with or guys that cheated on her. What had her   
wary about guys was that the latter happened more frequently   
that the former. _It's not like I won't find out anyway..._ Kodama   
spent the rest of the time before Hikari finished dinner to think of   
a way to find out who the guy could be. The only thing she could   
think of by the time she was called to eat was to wait it out a   
while and then grill Nozomi. Satisfied with that, Kodama join   
her sisters in the dining room.

Meanwhile, across town, Shinji had finished cooking dinner   
as well. He had only cooked for two, because his parents had to   
work late and he'd invited little Kotoko to stay to eat.

"So, what'd you and Hikari-san talk about right before we   
left for home?" Kotoko asked Shinji as he poured a cup of green   
tea for them both.

"Umm... J-just when she could have some time to teach me   
how to swim." Shinji stuttered out.

Kotoko grinned. Lying had never been one of Shinji Ikari's   
strong points. "You're a bad liar, Shinji-san." She pointed out.

Shinji smiled at the child. "That's true. But, if it's all the   
same to you... I'd like to keep what went on between me and   
Hikari to stay private, for now. Okay?"

"Hai." She answered. Shinji's smile widened a bit. He was   
bemused at how much she trusted him, but liked it just the same.   
He knew that she wouldn't bring it up again until he did so first.

Kotoko's grin widened as well. She enjoyed the fact that   
Shinji truthfully told her anything she wanted to know sooner or   
later. And she knew that even if he wasn't comfortable with   
telling her now, he would tell her as soon as he was ready. The   
unspoken arrangement was one of the things that kept them as   
close-knit as family.

"It's a good idea though..." Kotoko said as she took a fried   
fish from the center of the table.

Shinji grabbed a fish as well. "What is?"

"Having someone teach you how to swim."

"Maybe." Shinji laughed.

"Why don't you ask Asuka-san?"

"I don't think so."

Kotoko tilted her head curiously. "Why not?"

"Asuka isn't exactly the most patient person in the world. I   
don't think she'd make a good teacher."

"I guess you're right..." She said thoughtfully.

As the two ate and talked about the good time they all had at   
the beach, the conversation he and Hikari had scratched at the   
back of his mind. _I wonder if it'll work..._

[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]

"_What _is _he _doing here!?!" Asuka demanded as Hikari   
walked up to their meeting place with Shinji in tow.

"I invited him along." Hikari answered simply.

"Why!?" Asuka could have tolerated the idea of shopping   
with Rei, but she definitely did _not_ want to shop with a _boy_.  She   
glared daggers into Shinji as Hikari answered.

"Well, he said he didn't plan on doing anything today, so I   
asked him to come yesterday at the beach." She said with a   
shrug. She had practiced this answer a few times that morning to   
keep from turning a deep red. To her credit, her face only gained   
a light tint of pink for a few seconds.

Asuka eyed Shinji dangerously before finally giving in. "All   
right, but we're going to change our plans." Hikari gave her a   
confused look. Asuka didn't waste time in answering Hikari's   
unasked question. "The only type of clothing were getting is   
shoes. I don't feel like having this pervert ogling me." With that,   
the trio headed for the nearest shoe store.

A two hours later, they stopped to rest on a bench in a local   
mall. Asuka went back on her word; she and Hikari both ended   
up with a couple bags of clothes, all of which Shinji was   
carrying at that point. Of course, Asuka only let herself and   
Hikari get clothes if Shinji stayed and waited outside whatever   
shop they were in. 

Elsewhere in the mall, Toji and Kensuke were entering a   
McDonald's. They had just gotten back and Toji wanted some   
fast food instead of Kensuke's canned provisions. Kensuke put   
Toji's stomach to his advantage and took the opportunity to look   
around for better camping equipment beforehand. They both   
ordered the same thing, a teriyaki burger with a medium   
softdrink. Since Kensuke didn't bring that much money, Toji   
agreed to pay for them both if Kensuke paid him the eight-  
hundred yen for his meal later on. They took a seat at the   
window facing a music store. After a few minutes of idle   
conversation, Toji noticed something out of the corner of his eye.   
Curious, he abruptly left the table and went to the exit.

Kensuke watched his friend, perplexed. He then turned his   
gaze out the window in time to see an angry German red-head   
shouting at a meek Japanese boy holding quite a few bags. He   
couldn't hear what Asuka was yelling, but he knew two things:   
first, Asuka most likely didn't have a real good reason to yell at   
Shinji and, second, Shinji would just wait it out and hope she   
doesn't injure him too badly.

Toji, however, was closer and went unnoticed as he listened   
to what was going on.

"Baka(Idiot)! Why can't you do that some other time?!"   
Asuka shouted.

"Fine." Shinji answered. He didn't really want to go through   
an argument at that moment. He had no idea that spending the   
day shopping with the two girls would've been so tiring and he   
wanted to finish up so he could home and lay down.

Hikari spoke up to step in for Shinji. "Come on, Asuka. Just   
let him go. It'll only be a few minutes." She didn't see why   
Asuka was so adamant about not letting him pick up a new tape   
or two for his SDAT.

"Why are you siding with _him_?" Asuka demanded. She   
scoffed as color started to rise in Hikari's cheeks. "Oh, all   
right..."

By that time, Toji had made his way to a near by bench   
within earshot. He was facing away from them in hopes he   
wouldn't be recognized. _Yeah, why _is _Hikari taking up for   
Shinji?_ He asked himself with a twinge of jealousy.__

Shinji mumbled his thanks to Hikari, then quickly made his   
way into the store.

Asuka looked at her friend, then shook her head. "Hikari...   
we really need to sit down and talk about your taste in men. Or   
boys, in this case." At that, Hikari flushed without missing a beat   
and Toji had gotten enough. Asuka noticed him get up and walk   
away. She'd seen him a little while earlier trying to listen in. She   
didn't know why he was doing it, but she planned to solicit an   
answer from him somewhere down the line. Seeing him at that   
moment, though, had her thinking of something Hikari had told   
her months before. "Although, he isn't the worst you could do."   
Asuka smirked.

Hikari frowned. She knew what Asuka was hinting at. "It's   
not what you think." Her voice didn't betray any of the   
embarrassment she felt at what Asuka previously implied. She   
was too upset by the second thing Asuka implied to be   
embarrassed.

"Whatever."

Shinji walked up to them. "I'm done." He said before he   
bent down to pick up the girls' bags.

"It's about time, baka(idiot). And don't worry, we only have   
one place left to go."

Kensuke made a mental note to ask Shinji why he was with   
the girls as he watched  the three walk away. He heard Toji   
coming back. "Why didn't say anything to them? Don't tell me   
your little crush on Hikari has gotten so bad that you can't just   
run into her outside of school." It was a fact that only the two of   
them knew. Toji had liked Hikari for about a year, but had never   
gotten the nerve to do anything about it.

"I think she likes Shinji, man." Toji said dejectedly.

"Shinji? Why do you say that?"

"She sort of stood up for him."

"So? You know how nice she is."

"Yeah, but during one of Shinji and Asuka's fights?"

"Well, I guess you have a point..." _I need to do some major   
recon... _Kensuke thought. They finished eating in silence.

Afterwards, Toji went home and Kensuke decided to go to a   
new computer shop that opened up a month before. It had the   
best and latest equipment. As he walked into the store,   
something caught his eye. Or, rather, some_one_. She was at the   
back desk giving one of the employees a list of what she wanted   
for a custom computer. At first glance, she appeared to have a   
few tomboyish qualities. But, as Kensuke looked further, he   
noticed how attractive she really was. She had a kind of   
unimposing beauty. The kind that's noted in the back of your   
mind, then becomes more and more apparent. Kensuke listened   
in on the girl's extensive list of customizations. The girl knew   
what she wanted and had a good technological sense. She didn't   
go for all the top rated features, she made sure she got the best   
combination of components for her purposes.

As the young woman reached into her purse to get money to   
prepay for her computer, the feeling she had of someone   
watching her got stronger. Finally, she turned around to see a   
boy her age with something akin to awe in his eyes. She was   
used to this. Most guys were surprised to see a female techie.   
She smiled at him, then turned back to hand over a large sum of   
money to pay for her soon-to-be computer. 

Kensuke was shocked to see the girl pay with cash. He   
expected her pull out a credit card or something, not a wad of   
cash.

"It's not polite to stare, you know." The girl told Kensuke as   
she walked away from the desk.

Kensuke followed her to the exit. "You sure know your way   
around computers."

The girl giggled and gave him a side view of her face.   
"That's original."

"Huh?"

The girl stopped, surprised. "Oh, nothing. Never mind." She   
waved off her comment.

"You must have saved up for a while to pay all that money   
for your computer."

"Yeah, I saved up for almost a year for a computer I had my   
eye on back in Osaka."

Kensuke opened and held the mall doors for her. "You just   
moved here?"

"Thanks. Yeah, a few days ago. I was real excited when I   
found out that the computer store in this mall did   
customizations."

"Are you enrolled at one of the schools here, yet?"

"Yes, tomorrow's my first day."

Kensuke was about to ask if he could walk her home when   
she started to wave at someone in the parking lot. "Maya-san!"   
The person waved back. "Come on!"

"That's my cousin. I have to go." She turned around and   
gave him a smile. "It was nice a talking to you. Ja(Bye)."

Kensuke watched her run up to the older girl and get into her   
car. He waved goodbye as they drove away. Then, he realized   
something. _I don't have a way of getting in touch with her   
again..._ He cursed himself before heading back for the computer   
store.

[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]

As usual, Hikari was the first to arrive in the classroom. It   
was Monday and she was getting ready to check the new files   
that were sent to her network folder. She had already picked up   
two new laptops from the main office for the new students. _Ah,   
that's her name..._ She thought as she looked at the display on her   
laptop. _Hmm, there must be a typo in the records._ The file on the   
other student said 'Kaworu,' not 'Kaoru.' At this point, students   
started to come in to the classroom. _Or maybe I heard wrong. I   
hope I won't have to get Toji and Kensuke for selling pictures   
again. At least Rei knows, I'll find these two during lunch to   
warn them._ Hikari was about to prepare two data disks   
containing the school's rules and regulations when Shinji, Asuka   
and Rei walked in. Hikari greeted the three before getting back   
to putting the documents onto the disks. She hoped an argument   
wouldn't start again. The fight between Rei and Asuka caused   
her to forget her duties. She had to give Rei her laptop and rule   
disk on Friday morning. By the time Ms. Katsuragi came into the   
classroom, everyone was in the room. Hikari was on. "All rise.   
Bow. Sit down." Her morning obligation done, she waited for   
their teacher to introduce the new students.

"All right, everyone! We got two more people joining our   
class today. Come on in you guys!"

The door opened to reveal a gray, almost silver, haired boy   
holding the door open for a young girl with tomboyish short   
brown hair. The girl smiled her thanks and stepped into the   
classroom. Her eyes widened as she saw a familiar spectacled   
boy sitting at his desk, as did her smile.

The girl's surprised reaction was mirrored on Kensuke's   
face. He sat up slightly.

The boy stepped up beside the girl and scanned the faces of   
his new class. He was startled to see someone who shared his   
eye color. She was leaning on her desk with her elbows, resting   
her chin on her interlaced fingers, and looking out the window   
through her peripheral. He motioned for the short brown-eyed   
girl next to him to go first.

The girl took the cue. "Hello. My name is Maya Ibuki." She   
bowed politely to the class. "Nice to meet you all." She threw a   
quick glance at boy she'd met the day before. She fought a   
strong urge to laugh at the intent look he was giving her.

The boy then stepped up and took Maya's example, he   
bowed to the class. "I am Kaworu Nagisa. I am pleased to be   
acquainted with you all." He said in a soft, smooth tone. He   
smiled as a few of the girls in the class swooned at his voice. It   
had happened a couple of times before, and it had amused him   
every time.

"Hikari?" Said Misato.

"Hai(Yes)." Hikari answered. She got the disks she prepared   
and grabbed the laptops from under her desk. The two watched   
her as she walked up. Hikari handed them their supplies. "These   
are your assigned computers. For the rest of the school year, you   
are allowed to take them between school and home. You are   
responsible for their return at the end of the year. The disks   
contain all rules and regulations regarding school policies and   
procedures." Hikari pointed out two seats in the back row.   
"Those are your seats." That being done, the three sat down at   
their desks and Misato began the lesson.

At lunch, the group all met on the roof, save Hikari. She   
arrived a few minutes after they did, having talked to Maya   
about two boys and a camera.

"You guys want to go to the downtown arcade after school?"   
Asked Toji.

"Yeah, I heard they got this new VR-game last week."   
Answered Kensuke as he pulled out his lunch. "It's a   
five-on-five shooting game. It has a bunch of different   
environments players can fight in."

"Humph. Figures." Scoffed Asuka.

Kensuke laughed. "But, you'll still play won't you?"

"Of course." She answered in a superior tone. "Someone has   
to show you how to really play war games."

That got another laugh out of Kensuke. "That's the name of   
the game, actually. 'VR War Games.'"

"So, Kensuke and the Demon are in. How about the rest of   
you?" Toji said, but not before getting out of Asuka's arm reach.   
Asuka remedied this by taking two steps before slapping him on   
the back of the head.

"I'll go." Hikari said.

"I will go, as well." Said Rei. "It sounds like it will be...   
interesting."

Everyone looked at Shinji. "I don't know."

"Come on." Argued Hikari. "It'll be fun." She took a quick   
glance away from Shinji and back again.

He read the look perfectly. "All right. I'll go."

The exchange went unnoticed by everyone, except Rei. She   
resolved to ask Shinji about it another time. She'd been noting   
this type of behavior all during the morning and didn't see its   
purpose.

Five minutes before lunch ended, Toji brought Shinji into   
the stairwell to the roof to talk. "You know, I saw you with the   
Demon and the Inchou(Class Representative) at the mall   
yesterday." 

"You... did?" Shinji expected something like this, but later as   
opposed to earlier.

"So did you and the Demon get together?" He asked,   
sounding hopeful.

Shinji almost fell on the floor laughing. He was able to   
successfully stop himself. "No. I've told you a lot of times that   
me and Asuka aren't like that."

"Uh huh. You were out the Inchou, then?" Toji asked.

He had tried to hide the grief from his voice, but Shinji   
noticed it anyway. Again, he had to reign in his laughter. "No,   
she just invited me to come with them while we were at the   
beach Saturday."

"Oh." Toji visibly looked relieved.

Shinji decided not to comment and went on. "I think she said   
it was because I said I wasn't planning on doing anything. She   
said she didn't want me doing nothing while everyone had   
plans."

"Hmm."

Shinji noticed his friend tensed up again. This time he just   
_had_ to laugh. "You know, if you want to ask Hikari-san out you   
should just do it."

Toji took a step back, completely red. "Huh? No! You got it   
wrong! I'm just curious. That's all!"

Shinji smirked. It wasn't often he was the one to tease   
someone. He didn't like doing it to the point where the other   
person would squirm, like Toji was, but he felt it was good to get    
payback for all the teasing he'd received by Toji's hands.

Toji frowned, then approached Shinji again. "Hey!" He   
barked out while dangerously brandishing a fist.

Shinji backed up, waving his hands in surrender. "What's the   
worst that could happen?" The look Toji gave him told him that   
he would regret asking that. Luckily, he was saved by the school   
bell.

[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]

Shinji looked down at the new corpse. This is the part he   
hated. How the body would just lie there after the kill. He didn't   
have much time to think about it, however, as he felt a slight   
pain in his back. The pain flashed for a moment, then everything   
around him faded to black.

Toji gave a wicked smile as he removed the sword from   
Shinji's back. 

"Dummkopf(Idiot)! Stop doing that! You're lowering our   
score! Du verdammter schweinhund(You damn pigdog)!" Said   
an angry German as she passed the scene. Unlike the spacecraft   
scenario they'd played earlier, they didn't have access to a team   
comm..

Toji was once again surprised at her mastery of German   
curses, even though she had only lived in Germany for five   
years.

The body Shinji was looking at faded from view. The   
player's fifteen second down time was over.

Shinji sighed and flipped up the visor on his VR helmet. He   
restudied the controls in the darkened chamber as he waited to    
respawn. Toji was obviously still angry about what he had said   
before lunch ended. It was the third time Toji had gutted him. He   
looked over to the side. None of this game's objectives had been   
completed yet.

The group of six was at the downtown arcade and was   
playing the game Kensuke was talking about during lunch. The   
game consisted of two teams of five playing against each other   
trying to score more points than the other before time was up.   
Teams received two points for enemy kills, a three point   
deduction for ally kills, and a one point deduction for times   
killed. Aside from the ten human players, there were ten players   
controlled by the computer meant to impede the progress of the   
human players. As well as bring the point count up a bit. There   
was also a list of objectives that could be completed for points   
depending on the difficulty of the task.

Hikari was outside watching the match as it was displayed   
on a large screen. She was angry with Toji for killing Shinji as   
many times as he did. She decided chew him out when the game   
was over. Under the large screen, which showed the entire   
virtual battlefield, there were ten smaller screens that gave the   
perspective of the ten human players. The one blackened screen   
out of the ten smaller ones came back to life, indicating that   
Shinji was back in the game. Hikari took a quick glance display   
above the large screen. It was a digital readout of the overall   
team scores. They were still ahead, but only by seventeen points.   
On either side of the field overview, there was a readout for   
individual scores. Toji had just put himself in the negatives by   
killing Shinji.

Inside the game, Shinji reappeared in the Blue Team   
respawn zone. He set out to find a kunai attached to a long chain   
(kind of weapon usually used as a type of grappling hook). He   
needed it to cross a crevice he saw a little after the start of the   
game. The objective he was trying to complete was to bring a   
spell scroll back to the team base which was next to the respawn   
zone.

Kensuke and Rei were working together to complete another   
one of the objectives. It was a two person gauntlet with another   
spell scroll at its end.

Toji was hung up with two members of the Red Team. He   
was able to take down one of them before he was killed himself.   
Frustrated, he punched the console in front of him as the lights in the chamber dimmed.

Asuka was inside a house of ninjas with a Red Team   
member fighting for the third of the five spell scrolls. She would   
have already taken care of the opposing team member, but there   
were four AIs there before she got there. The other person's   
arrival was secondary to her. She just made sure to look over to   
him every once in a while to see if he had any weakness she   
could exploit when it was just the two of them.

Just then, a general announcement was made. The leader of   
the Red Team had just earned ten points for getting a spell scroll.

Shinji had hurried his pace when he heard the   
announcement. He was holding the scroll and was on his way   
back. Suddenly, he heard a rustling in the foliage around him. He   
put the scroll into his waistband and drew his sword. One of the   
AIs lunged at him from the bushes. He brought his blade up to   
block the overhead slash. His attacker brought his katana around   
for a strong sideways strike. Shinji ducked it and countered with   
a quick thrust. He took his sword out and sheathed it as the   
computer-controlled opponent slumped down to the ground. He   
ran towards the Blue base as fast as he could.

A minute later, he ran into the base. A robed man was there,   
waiting for him. He held out his hand to receive the scroll. Shinji   
complied. The man opened the scroll and chanted an incantation   
in some ancient language. The scroll dissolved into particles of   
light which swirled around Shinji. After the lights died down,   
another announcement was made rewarding the Blue Team ten   
points. Shinji was about to leave to see if he could help any of   
the others before the robed man grabbed his arm.

"Before you go," The figure said in a ghostly voice. "Know   
that you now have the power of lightning." With that the man   
dissolved like the scroll had. Shinji ran out of the base, heading   
for the Red base. He hoped to get the Red Team's crest and to   
find a few teammates along the way. Getting the other team's   
crest was the pretty high on the objective list and was worth a lot   
of points.

Meanwhile, Asuka was heading _for_ base. She had the scroll   
and Toji in tow. Toji, newly respawned, had been a great help in   
taking down the last AI and the Red Team member. Though,   
she'd never admit it.

At the gauntlet's end, Kensuke was panicking. "There is no   
way to do this!" He exclaimed. The scroll was being protected   
by an assortment of mechanical blades and a wall of flames that   
came up whenever he tried to reach for it. At the same time, an   
hourglass shaped like a hand weight ticked down the time before   
they would be skewered by the grate of spikes that were bearing   
down on them. "It's impossible!"

Rei looked around the room and studied it for any possible   
solutions. After a few moments, she came across an idea. "No."   
She bent down and, in one deft movement, she unsheathed her   
sword and slashed the hourglass. Before the shards of glass hit   
the ground, everything stopped abruptly. "It is not impossible."  
 She finished as she replaced her kodachi(A type of short sword).   
The spike ceiling started to rise to its original place. The little   
alcove that held the scroll opened up and, at its rear, the pedestal   
holding the scroll slid back. Kensuke stared at Rei with his   
mouth agape. She gave him an impassive glance before she went   
through the opening.

As the two entered the final chamber, a cloaked figure faded   
into existence behind the pedestal. "Congratulations." The man   
picked up the scroll. "Now, step up and claim your prize."   
Kensuke approached him while Rei looked on. He opened the   
scroll. "This is the Scroll of Water and Ice. Make your decision."

"Huh?"

"Water or Ice. Choose."

Kensuke scratched the back of his head in confusion. "Um...   
Water, I guess."

"Very well." After a short invocation, the scroll in his hands   
broke up into lights colored two different shades of blue. The   
deeper blue flew and circled around Kensuke, while the lighter   
blue swirled around Rei. As the man started to fade away, Rei   
and Kensuke were blinded by a bright light that flooded the   
room from the pedestal. The next time they opened their eyes,   
they found themselves back at the Blue base in time for the   
announcement of the points they picked up.

Kensuke sat down to take a breath. "Where are you going?"   
He asked Rei as he noticed her heading for the door.

"I am going to see if I can find the others. We should get   
together and formulate a plan of action to ensure that we win."

Kensuke was impressed with her analytical thinking, though   
not for the first time. She had displayed the same type of   
thinking in the previous scenario they all had played. He noticed,   
though, that she still spoke with her usual apathetic tone. It   
seemed to him that the only times that he'd heard her speak in a   
different way was when she had everyone's attention or when   
Shinji was around. Kensuke assumed it was because Shinji was   
the only one to not be swayed away by her usual demeanor and actually tried to talk to her. His thoughts were interrupted by a   
sound right outside the door. _It sounded like someone hit the   
ground._ Thought Kensuke. As he got to the door, he heard Rei's   
quiet voice.

"Your group of friends has an odd habit of knocking me to   
the ground."

Kensuke froze in place. _Did she just make a joke?_ It was the   
first time he'd heard her not be serious. He looked out the door   
to see Rei on the ground, Asuka staring down at her with an   
angry look on her face, and Shinji a few meters back chuckling a   
bit. _ That explains it._

Asuka glared down at the pale-skinned girl on the ground.   
She was angry. The girl had popped out just as she came in out   
of the forest. What was worse was the fact Shinji was laughing.   
Asuka thought he was laughing at her. She didn't take Rei's   
comment as a joke. The only solace she had at the moment was   
the fact that Toji wasn't there. She had heard someone crawling   
around in the bushes and she sent Toji to draw him out and buy   
her some time. After that, she found Shinji and told him come   
with her.

Shinji, with a smile, walked over to Rei and offered her his   
hand. She took it gratefully. When she smiled at him, he nearly   
dropped her. In the few days she'd spent in the city, a smile on   
her face was very rare. Shinji'd already seen it a few times, but it   
still floored him. That small, warm smile was in complete   
contrast with her usual icy disposition that she exhibited in   
school and in public.

Asuka spoke up. "All right. We're just missing the last   
Stooge..." Just then, Kensuke came out, with Toji right behind   
him. "Oh, never mind. There he is."

"Very funny." Toji answered curtly. "It turns out that the   
guy in the bushes was the Red Team leader. I was running to   
attack him and all he does is hold out his hand and yell out   
'quake.' And suddenly the ground starts shaking. I lost my   
balance and fell."

Asuka laughed. "Well, that's because you're a clumsy oaf. _I   
_wouldn't have fallen."

"Shut up!" Toji growled. Asuka just smirked. "Anyway,   
while I was getting up he threw these things at me."

"Kunais(In this case, Small blades, used  as projectile   
weapons)?" Shinji offered.

"Yeah, that's it. I wonder how he did it..."

"He must have gotten the earth spell scroll." Rei reasoned.   
"Keeping his kill count down will be a challenge."

"How so?" Questioned Shinji.

"He has an excellent strategy." Rei pointed out. "He can use   
the quake spell to immobilize us, and then kill us."

Asuka interrupted. "So? We can always take to the air."

"If we jump up when the ground starts shaking, we will be   
easy targets." Rei answered in her usual calm voice.

"Wait, if he was able to do that after getting the earth scroll.   
Then..." Shinji's eyes lit up with realization. "Thunder!" He   
shouted suddenly. The air around him crackled with energy as   
bolts of electricity rained down around him. "Whoa..." He   
whispered in awe.

"Wow!" Kensuke exclaimed. He turned his palm toward a   
tree. "Water!" A bubble of water appeared above the tree then   
abruptly dropped onto it.

"Hmm." Rei did the same, though with a considerately less   
amount of enthusiasm. "Blizzard." The tree was split in half by a   
huge block of ice. Seconds after the ice hit the ground, the block   
broke up and disappeared. "Interesting. Perhaps was a bit rash of   
me to assume the leader of the Red Team had an advantage."

"Oh, yeah!" Asuka cried out. "I almost forgot! I got one of   
the scrolls too." She ran into the base. Seconds later a ball of fire   
sailed out of the door.

"Hey!" Shouted Kensuke as he grabbed his singed hair.   
"You know, the pain simulators in this game can be too realistic   
sometimes. When was the technology for making a neural   
connection that stimulates the pain sensors of the brain made,   
anyway."

Rei started to answer, but was interrupted by Asuka. "What's   
wrong? Not man enough to take the pain Aida? Who cares,   
anyway?"

"Well, now that we know we can do these spells. We should   
try to go for a big lead. I say we go for the Red Team's crest."   
Shinji said.

Asuka was surprised. "Wow, Shinji. After all these years,   
you finally grew a spine. I figured you'd want to wait around   
here until they came for our crest." Shinji frowned at her. She   
just smiled. Teasing Shinji about his shy nature was always fun   
for her.

They got together and formulated a plan. Kensuke and Toji   
stayed back while Shinji, Asuka, and Rei set off for the Red base   
on a mission.

[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]=======[ ]

"Su... zu... ha... ra!" Hikari yelled, stressing every syllable.   
Though she was happy that they won, she was still angry. "Why   
did you keep going after Shinji-kun like that!?!"

"Uh..." Toji reeled back. He didn't really want to say. And   
he _really _didn't want to face an angry Hikari, so he hid behind   
Shinji.

Hikari didn't want to go through Shinji, so she just settled   
for glaring at Toji.

Shinji decided to intervene. "It's okay, Hikari-san. He's just   
angry about something I said earlier."

Hikari fixed her glare onto Shinji. "First, that's no excuse.   
And second, would you stop being so formal with me?! You've   
known me as long as you've known Toji and Kensuke and you   
still call me -san!"

Shinji bowed his head. "Gomen(Sorry). I didn't realize..."

Hikari's expression softened. "It's okay, Shinji-kun." She   
put on a serious face again. "Just don't do it again."

Shinji managed a meek "Hai(Yes)."

Hikari giggled.

As Toji watched the two, the green-eyed creature known as   
jealousy crept into his mind.

Asuka and Kensuke both held back a laugh. Toji's plight   
was very entertaining.

Rei watched passively. She couldn't grasp why Suzuhara   
was getting upset over Horaki and Ikari-kun's exchange.

They talked outside the VR center for a while before   
deciding to leave for home.

First to break off was Kensuke. He left with a one last   
private shot at Toji about Hikari.

Next, they reached the point on their route where Hikari had   
to separate from them. Toji called out to her. "Hey, Inchou(Class Representative)."

"What, Suzuhara?"

"Um, can I walk you home? I need to talk to you about   
something."

"Uh, sure." They both left for the Horaki residence.

A while down the road, the remaining three found   
themselves at the last break off point.

"I will see you both tomorrow." Rei said as she turned to   
leave for her home.

Shinji followed her. "I'll go with you, Ayanami."

Both girls quirked an eyebrow at him.

"I just don't trust the neighborhood you live in."

"And I don't deserve the same protection?" Asuka teased   
with a mock hurt expression.

Shinji laughed. "Since when did you need anyone to protect   
you, Asuka?"

Asuka laughed as well as they turned to leave. She watched   
them for a moment before leaving for the apartment.

To Be Continued...

Sorry to the miniscule amount of people who were possibly waiting for this next installment in this series.   
Though, it's probably a number less than one anyway... ^_^; My pre-reader's been busy and couldn't get   
back to me for a while. And the fact it takes me two to three weeks to write something even remotely   
satisfactory to myself doesn't help matters either... If anyone would like to take some of the workload off   
her and think they can stand being in contact with some as weird as me, E-mail me at   
LQsniper@MSN.com. I could use another pre-reader to annoy.

Anyway, I know someone's going to ask about Maya. So, I'll address that right here. I want to keep as   
much of the cast in this story as possible, and I couldn't see any plausible way to bring in the bridge crew   
other than making them students in the school. And also, about Toji's sister... Out of all the fics I've read   
Mari came up as the most common name for her, so that's the one I used. Get it? Got it? Good.

Pop Quiz! Alright everyone! Clear your desks and pull out a piece of paper.

(1) Name the series Kotoko, Mari, and Nozomi's friends are from.

(2) What movie was the end of the gauntlet from?

(3) Where did I get the idea of the spells from?

Okay, pencils down. I said, pencils down! You, in the back! Automatic 'F,' anyone else? Good. Anyone   
who gets all the answers right gets... uhh... nothing! Aren't I the best? Heh, don't mind me... I'm an idiot.

Okay, I'm sure you're all tired of my longwindedness(is that a real word?), so I'll shut up now.__


End file.
